"If you want to hate America, watch the news; if you want to love America, drive through it." That's how a German World Cup fan described his experience while visiting for the games, repurposing a viral Instagram proverb to fit the moment. It strikes a chord that rings true. I love this country. I don't claim the term "patriot," because it's been co-opted and bastardized by the worst of us. However, I've always had faith in the people and the vision.
My favorite thing about this country- and arguably, the best thing - is its diversity. As a people, we are avid consumers and connoisseurs of what the world has to offer. And the amalgamation all the best parts of the world is quintessential to who we are as a nation. That's the vision of America - the whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts. In my opinion, you can't tell who is an American by a person's race, creed, sexuality, accent, or any of the other different boxes people use to make sense of the world. To love America is to love it's people - all of its people.
Everybody listen to me
I never thought I'd get this far my own
It's just as hard as it seems
No one can say, no one, no one knows
"I'm America" is one of the songs I picked for my "Vibe for 2026" playlist, which has evolved into mostly a list of great protest and resistance music that has come out in past years. Cilver put this song out in 2016. In the words of Uliana Preotu, Cilver's vocalist, they wanted to put out a song to that was hopeful during a time when the world was tumultuous and people were angry and frustrated (albeit less so than the last few years). Preotu is a Romanian immigrant and "I'm America" is about her experience emigrating to the United States. It's a song about the sacrifices immigrants make to get here, her own struggles getting by with limited English fluency, and ultimately, about the greatness of the country who welcomed her in.
Happy Independence Day
"I'm America" Lyric Video
No comments:
Post a Comment